Improvement in window-conservatories



} LT. CRAWFORD.

Window-Conservatory.

N0.158,686. PatentedJan.12,1875.

Urrnn STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN T. CRAIVFORD, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN WlNDOW-CONSERVATORIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,686, dated January 12, 1875; application filed April 30, 1874.

l I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in-

which- Figure l is a perspective view, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of one of the suspendingrods.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote the same parts.

This invention has for its object to provide a convenient and ornamental receptacle for flower-pots, &c., which shall be adapted to hang in the window or on the wall of an apartment, without taking up room on the floor.

It consists mainly of a horizontal shelf or bracket, of suitable length to extend across a window, and provided with suspending-rods adapted to engage with knobs attached to the sides of the window-casing or other convenlent points. The shelf is provided with a raised ledge extending entirely around its upper side, to prevent the overflow of surplus water, and with an escape-pipe adapted to carry off such surplus water into a receptacle. The shelf is also provided with raised pedestals on its upper side, supporting ornamental shelves or receptacles, the shelves being provided with suitable wire guards and cords for confining the plants, all of which I will now proceed to describe.

In the drawings, A represents a horizontal shelf, adapted to hold a number of flower-pots, and connected by two or more metallic brackets, B, with avertical back-piece, C, which may be provided with offsets, or bearing-blocks, to rest against awall. D D represent suspendingrods linked to eye-bolts F, on the upper side of the shelf A, near its rear edge. The rods D are provided at their outer ends with eyes E, of the form shown, the same being enlarged at 0 so as to slip over the heads of knobs F, attached to the sides of a windowcasing or other desired point, and contracted at a so as to clasp the neck of said knobs and be held in place by the enlarged heads, as

will be readily understood. G represents a metallic ledge or rim surrounding the shelf A, embedded in the wood, and serving to prevent the overflow of surplus water escaping from the flower-pots, and H is a drain orifice or pipe through the shelf for the purpose of conducting the surplus water to a suitable receptacle beneath. I I are pedestals rising from the shelf A, and supporting a smaller shelf, J, at any suitable height above the first. The shelf J is provided with pedestals K, supporting smaller shelves 0r baskets L. The edges of the shelves are suitably molded and ornamented, and provided with guards M, composed of wires which are preferably passed through the wood in loops, as shown in Fig. 1, and are thereby strongly secured and caused to project above and below the shelves, thus heightening the ornamental elfect.

The device is secured to its place in the window by slipping the enlarged portions of the eyes of its suspending-rods over the heads of porcelain or other knobs 011 the sides of the casing, and then allowing the whole to settle until the contracted ends of the eyes inclose the necks of the knobs, in which position they sustain the weight, and are prevented from lateral displacement by theheads of the knobs. This arrangement possesses great strength and simplicity, the weight of the shelves and their burden pressing against the wall, and therefore in a measure relieving the strain on the rods D. The shelf is adapted to fit windows of different sizes, the rods D being capable of swinging laterally to engage with knobs at a greater or less distance apart. It can be suspended from the inner or outer side of the window, or from the wall of a room, and can be moved from place to place by two persons, with great facility.

The shelves and baskets are arranged in a pyramidal form, and when filled with plants present an elegant appearance. The upper shelf and baskets may be removed, if desired, and the lower shelf be used alone. The device occupies no room on the floor, and offers no hindrance to sweeping. When the shelf is suspended in the open air, I provide a cord, N, having weighted tassels, said cord passing around the plants, through suitable eyes attached to the wire guards, and being adapted shelf J, baskets L, and cord N, all arranged to be tightened or loosened at will. The and operating substantially as and for the weight of the tassels draws the cord gently purposes described.

around the plants, and prevents their being 7 agitated too much by the Wind. JOHN T. CRAWFORD.

Having thus described my invention, what Witnesses:

I c1aimis JOSEPH E. SAWYER,

The combination of the shelf A, elevated CHARLES DEAN. 

